William Talbot
He was a boot and shoe maker.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
William Talbot was born on 15th June 1871 at Nottingham. He was the son of William Talbot, a shoe maker, and Elizabeth Talbot (née Hughes) of Radford, Nottingham.
His father William was born in 1826 at East Markham and died in 1908 aged 82 yrs. His mother Elizabeth Hughes was born in 1832 at Nottingham; she died in 1901 aged aged 69 yrs.
They were married on 17th May 1848 at St Stephen's Church, Sneinton, Nottingham, and had 12 children, including William.
William was the husband of Nellie (Ellen) Gardener, born 1872 Nottingham. They were married on 18th January 1888 at Nottingham and lived at 8 Wrigley's Terrace St Ann's Well Road Nottingham. They had two children, Richard Talbot born 1890 and Wallace Henry born 1892, died 1894.
In the 1911 census the family are living at 12 Peas Hill Road, St Ann's Nottingham. William Talbot 40 yrs is a boot and shoe maker, he is living with his wife Ellen 39 yrs and their son Richard 20 yrs single a labourer.
Private William Talbot initially served with the Sherwood Foresters Regiment before he was transferred to Royal Marines Light Infantry, Chatham Battalion.
He enlisted on 9th September 1914 and transferred to RMLI (short-service engagement) on 16th September 1914.
He joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 6th February 1915. On 9th May 1915 he suffered gunshot wounds to the left shoulder, side and face, and was invalided to the UK on 2nd July 1915, where he died from his wounds and of disease on 20th February 1916. He is interred in Gillingham (Woodland) Cemetery, Kent.
He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
CWGC History of Gillingham (Woodland) Cemetery, Kent (extract): 'There is a large naval section in Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery which was reserved by the Admiralty and served the Royal Naval Hospital in Windmill Road ... The section contains most of the war graves as well as burials of the pre-war and inter-war years.' (www.cwgc.org)
Among the First World War burials in the naval section are those from HMS 'Bulwark', blown up in Sheerness Harbour in November 1914, HMS 'Princess Irene' which suffered an internal explosion in May 1915 and HMS 'Glatton' which suffered the same fate in Dover Harbour in September 1918 (the bodies were not recovered until March 1930). The plot also contains a number of graves resulting from the air raid on Chatham Naval Barracks on 3 September 1917.
In all, Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery contains 837 burials and commemorations of the First World War, 82 of these burials are unidentified.
Talbot was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).'
His son Private Richard Talbot enlisted and served with the 1st Battalion Border Regiment. He was killed in action on 1st July 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme, and is buried in Y Ravine Cemetery Beaumont-Hamel, Grave Reference: Sp. Mem. A. 4. See record on this Roll of Honour.
Nottingham Evening Post, 8 March 1916. Photograph with caption, 'Pte W Talbot, RMLI, Wrigley’s Terrace, St Ann’s Well Road, Nottingham, died February 20th of wounds received in Gallipoli.'
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 22 & 23 February 1916: ‘Talbot. On the 20th, from wounds received in Dardanelles, William Talbot, late of Wrigley’s-terrace, St Ann’s Well-road. From wife and sisters.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 23 February 1916: ‘Talbot. On the 20th, Wm Talbot RM Gillingham Hospital, Chatham, from effect of wounds received in action. Interment Chatham, Wednesday 3pm. From his loving nephews and nieces.’
(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Additional research and information Peter Gillings.
Wiliam Talbot
Photograph was published on8th March 1916 in the Nottingham Evening Post , courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918